Low-flying plane over Staten Island and New York Harbor sparks fears of terror attack

Staten Island Advance/Irving SilversteinA low-flying airplane, tailed by fighter jets, is said to be a "military flight."

Invoking fears that another terrorist attack was underway, a low-flying plane, closely escorted by two F-16 fighter jets, was spotted over Staten Island's North Shore and New York Harbor just before 10 a.m.

The lack of any advance notice about the flight created near-panic conditions on Staten Island and in Manhattan, with many borough residents calling the Advance asking if the plane -- which appeared to be a commercial jetliner -- was hijacked. Several buildings in Manhattan's Financial District were evacuated until it could be determined that there was no emergency.

The incident invoked memories of Sept. 11, 2001 when two hijacked commercial airliners flew into the World Trade Center towers.

"It is pre-planned, pre-coordinated with everyone involved," said FAA spokesman Jim Peters. "It's a military flight over New York to take photos."

Without offering details, Peters said the flight was circling the Statue of Liberty and New York City to take photos. The New York Times reported that the plane flew low so that Air Force photographers could take pictures.

"I was sitting on my porch with my neighbor and it came so low, it felt like we could touch it," said Robert Jackman, a West Brighton resident.

Peters said city officials as well as state government agencies in New York and New Jersey were briefed on the flight in advance. But some evacuated workers in Manhattan said it didn't appear as if police officers knew about the flight.

"I was right under it," said Chris Ferrara, a Huguenot resident and truck driver at work at his company's office beneath the Staten Island side of the Bayonne Bridge. "It took a huge banking turn toward Manhattan. Everyone from my job came out. We thought it was going to hit Manhattan, we thought the jet was going to shoot down the plane, we thought we were about to watch another disaster."

The Times, which said the plane is a VC-25 that resembles a Boeing 747, reported that President Obama was not aboard the plane.